Celtics may look different when they return to Boston in two weeks

After losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the final game before the All-Star break, the Celtics will be on the road next week when the NBA trade deadline arrives. Danny Ainge could be an active participant in trade talks.

BOSTON – They said farewell to the TD Garden for the next two weeks on Wednesday night with the NBA All-Star break and a road trip next up.

When the Celtics return to Causeway Street on Feb. 26 to face the Atlanta Hawks, there could very well be some subtractions from and additions to their roster.

The trade deadline is a week from this afternoon and the rebuilding Celtics just might be active participants as they try line things up for the future.

“Those are hard questions to answer,’’ said Celtics coach Brad Stevens when asked about the possibility of deals. “I don’t know either way. At the end of the day, that’s why I’m the coach and somebody else is doing that.

“What I’m going to do is focus on the guys we have and, if that changes, then I’ll focus on whoever else is here. I’ve tried not to get caught up in all of the talk as well. It’s distracting for everybody to hear those rumors.’’

There are bound to be plenty of rumors – some legitimate, most of them just wild speculation – over the next week and the Celtics will have to deal with that during the early part of a four-game road trip.

“You just enjoy the break,’’ said Kris Humphries, a possible candidate to be traded, “and if you get that call, you get that call.’’

The Celtics went their separate ways for four days after being handed a 104-92 loss to Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night before a crowd of 17,922 at the Garden.

They have hit the All-Star break with a 19-35 record and they will have 28 games remaining once they pick up the schedule next Wednesday night in Phoenix.

President of basketball operations Danny Ainge is trying to load up on draft picks and players like Humphries, Brandon Bass and Jeff Green will be discussed.

The Celtics are in a rebuilding mode with a trip to the lottery in the cards and, after opening the season 12-14, have gone 7-21 since. They are 4-2 this month (after a 2-15 January) with the losses coming to the Dallas Mavericks and the Spurs.

“There have been ups and downs,’’ said Rajon Rondo, who was 4-for-5 from 3-point range and had 16 points. “We’ve made strides to start the month. The past two out of three, we played some pretty good teams, two great teams and we fell short.’’

Now, it is vacation time for the Celtics, who will gather in Phoenix next Tuesday for a practice session, then wait to see what happens by the Thursday deadline.

Page 2 of 2 - “I’ve never lived it, so it’s hard for me to say,’’ said Stevens. “Obviously, you control what you can control and take it from there.’’

Rondo said he doesn’t pay attention to trade rumors, stating, “I don’t watch TV,’’ but acknowledged the annual rite of winter is “part of the league.’’

When Gerald Wallace, who would like to be shipped out of town, was asked about next week, he quickly replied, “Wrong person. I’m not the GM.’’

Ainge is the one with the heavy lifting to do as he tries to find as many proper avenues to use in the future by using whatever assets he can trade right now.

The Celtics have plenty of first-round draft picks already in the bank over the next five years and Ainge would love to keep adding to the pile.

“I don’t know if there will be, should be, whatever the case may be,’’ said Stevens of trade possibilities. “I do know we have to get better as a team to make the progress that I think we need to make.’’

Vacation began around 10 p.m. on Wednesday night and will end on Monday when the Celtics report to Phoenix.

It will mark the start of an interesting few days for the Celtics, who may have a much different look next time they step back inside the Garden locker room at the end of the month.

“I think you guys are more in touch with what’s going on than we are,’’ said Humphries to the media. “I’ll look and see what you guys are writing.’’

Jim Fenton may be reached at jfenton@enterprisenews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFenton_ent.